Aaron Rai not only brilliantly denied fellow Englishman Tommy Fleetwood a repeat DP World Tour victory but also superbly held off Grand Slam winning Rory McIlroy a first tournament win in the UAE capital with a birdie at the first extra hole to claim success in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
Rai and Fleetwood ended regulation play having pared the par-5 18th with Rai posting a closing 67 and Fleetwood a 66 to send the event into a play-off on the host Yas Links course.
The 30-year-old Rai, and winner of the 2018 co-sanctioned Hong Kong Open and 2020 Scottish Open, then birdied the 18th for a second time and with Fleetwood, who won on the DP World Tour in his last start in India, could only managed a par.
RAI AGLOW AFTER @ADGolfChamps THRILLER ….
Aaron Rai @LevelwearGolf @Meandmygolf brilliantly denies dual @RyderCupEurope winning duo @TommyFleetwood1 & @McIlroyRory to @ADGolfChamps
⭐️Rai’s third @DPWorldTour
⭐️A second #RolexSeries title
⭐️Jumps ⬆️46 spots to 9th… pic.twitter.com/pyJdOgxL9g— Fatiha (@TOURMISS) November 9, 2025
Reigning Masters champion McIlroy produced a sizzling last day effort of an eagle and eight birdies for not only the lowest round over the four days in Abu Dhabi but a lowest score in his 262 DP World Tour counting events.
Rai began the day enjoying a one-shot lead but soon found himself two shots back following a fast start from playing partner Fleetwood who began birdie, eagle before Rai’s run of four successive birdies from the fouth hole returned him to the top.
Fleetwood got himself back in front thanks to birdies at the 7th and 12th holes but Rai was not going away and was back sharing the lead thanks to birdies at 16 and 17 and with both players locked atop of the board at 25-under.
So, it was back to the 18th for both players, a hole that Rai only managed to birdie on day two while Fleetwood also struggled also with a single birdie on day three.
Rai was estatic in victory and with over-joyed father Amrik a first to congratulate him.
“It’s hard to sum up. I was so focused, just tried to stay in the zone.” said Rai.
“It’s hard to put into words at the at the moment how this feels and how I’m going to reflect on it.
“Just amazing to be stood here. Obviously, Tommy is a phenomenal player and he’s an even better person than he is a player, and that says a lot. To play with him the last two days, and to be able to be in a playoff with him was really special as well”.
Rai started the week 55th on the Race to Dubai standings, needing a big week to book his spot in this coming week’s DP World Tour Championship, and now he heads to nearby Dubai lying ninth.
